When Perfection Goes From Bad To Worse
by AshyyBaby
Summary: Have you ever had something so perfect but then only to have it ripped to pieces? Aang has. His and Katara's love has only begun to blossom, but will it have to end? Can the Avatar even put the pieces back? Chapter 2


As I sat here watching the bright glowing sun slowly settle into the horizion as night comes about I thought about all the things that have been happening lately. Everything was so...so...perfect. You may be thinking that I'm exaggturating on this, but I'm not -- not in the slightest.

Ever since Katara had confessed how she felt about me, nothing has gone wrong. Nothing. Everything was calm at school (besides the fact that Hide has tried to pummel me into the ground on many occasions for "locking lips" with On Ji -- which still makes my stomach churn), Sokka wasn't the least bit suspicious about me and Katara, and we both agreed that no one really needed to know anything until after I defeated the Fire Lord. Yep, everything was going great.

Slowly, my chin ducked itself downward, my eyes scanning over my new found lover. She was asleep; collapsed somewhere between my arms and my chest. A tender grin curved my lips as I found my fingers tangling into her long, dark hair, running through the wavy locks. Honestly, I found it wonderful how the two colors of our skin mixed so well -- minus the blue of my tattoos of course. Whenever we were holding hands, or when I ran my palms down her arms, or when my fingers twined themselves in her chocolate hair, the paleness always contrasted so well to her sunkissed skin and the dark ribbions of silk that tumbled over her shoulders.

Suddenly, the waterbender's frame twitched in my arms, then, Katara slowly began to stir.

"Mmnn," she groaned as she stretched her legs, then her arms, her bright eyes slowly opening, the lush lashes that framed the two crystal pools of a sky blue hue casting shadows on her tanned cheeks. "What time is it?" she asked, her voice a little groggy, but still so sweet and lovely, my heart melted anyway. As she put the base of her palms to her eyes and began to wipe their sleepy coat away, my hands rubbed from her elbow to her wrist and back again.

"You only dozed off, don't worry. It's just now after sun down," I explained, smiling down at her as she revealed her twinkling eyes to me again. My face flushed, the tingling heat of a blush rising up on my cheeks. She giggled, only making the crimson coloring flood all the way to my ears. Her hand cupped my cheek as her face neared mine, her lips slightly pursed, searching for my own. An eruption of butterflies broke out in my stomach. This would've been the third time we've kissed since we were secretly 'going together', but the thought of having a girl as beautiful, smart, graceful, and wonderful as Katara's lips connected with my own made my body break out with a cold sweat of anticipation.

My eyes shifted outward, back to the sea, only to find that night had completely fallen. Her lips never did touch mine. I placed my hand over hers, curling my fingers around her palm, gently prying the softness of her skin off of my cheek. "It's a long walk back," I said, reluctance dripping from the words. I wanted to airbend myself right over the cliff for just saying it! "Sokka will get worried, suspicious even; you know he doesn't like us taking walks."

The way Katara pulled back, I could tell she was disappointed (it shone in her eyes and made my stomach wrench with resentment), but she smiled faintly, sweetly, toward me, finding the humor I tried to put forth and nodded in agreement.

I airbended both of us to our feet, getting a gleeful giggle from my beau in result, making a toothy grin part my lips. I took her hand, lacing my fingers through hers and tugged her along as the paper lanterns of the street lit up in a warm, romantic gleam that reflected in the barrels of water outside of shops.

"Hotman. Hotman," I greeted to the men that passed me by, grinning still. Katara clamped her hand over her lips to hold in her laughter, which I found almost as cute as her blush, which was hard to come by -- believe me.

As we walked along, occasionally -- actually, it was every other minute -- I would pull Katara, or Katara would pull me, into small little alcoves along the street and we'd sneak kisses before continuing onward.

Just like everything else, the night was going perfectly, and we were nearly back home by now. I had pulled Katara to me to sneak another kiss when she screeched my name and threw both of our bodies to the ground, just as a beam of crimson light hit the ground, sending a barrage of dust and flames into the air. I wrapped my arms around the waterbender protectively, tucking her head to my chest as I looked up to the surrounding cliffs. The moon glinted off of something metalic, making it shine. My eyes flew open as a nother raidant beam shot down at us, and that comfirmed it; Combustion Man -- or what Sokka called him: Sparky-Boom-Boom-Man.

I bent a large air dome around us, grabbed Katara's hand and ran as fast as I could, tugging her along with me. The ground shook as the man leapt from a cliff and landed solidly on the ground, booming sounds erupting with each heavy stride he took as he chased after us. Why was this happening? Why now? On the most perfect of nights? And so close to home! What if he already got Sokka, Toph, Appa, and Momo? I shuddered at the thought, shaking my head, throwing it out of my brain and continuing to run.

As my chest began to burn, I got an idea. From my pocket, I retrieved a white, wooden flute, in the shape of my best buddy -- Appa. I sucked in as much air as my swollen lungs would hold and blew into the bison whistle, letting it give it's soft, high-pitched squeal, one too high for a human's ears. I stared at the sky . . . Nothing but stars.

No.

No.

NO!

If we didn't fly out of here, me and Katara would be done for! I couldn't let this happen! I just couldn't!

I glanced over my shoulder at Katara. Her eyes glistened in the moonlight as she held back tears. A pang of guilt struck my heart. She was so brave; even when face to face with death, scared out of her mind, too, I'm sure, she didn't cry. It was no wonder I loved her so much, she was so strong.

I pulled us behind a large group of boulders, hoping to shelter us for at least a moment. As soon as we were sheltered, I pulled her into my arms, not even bothering to catch my breath first. She was more important than oxygen to my brain. She burried her face into the nook between my neck and my shoulder, and that's when I felt her tears begin to roll from her eyes. The warm, brackish water driped against the skin of my neck. I hushed her so and smoothed down her curly hair.

"Don't cry, Katara, please," I begged in a hoarse whisper. If she cried, then I'd cry too. And I had to be the strong one now.

"Oh, Aang!" she gasped, wiping her eyes dry. "I'm so scared."

"Shhh!" I interrupted, rocking our torsos to and fro.

"What if we don't make it out of here? What if he gets us, Aang!? What if we di--mmph!"

She was silenced as my lips crashed into hers in our deepest kiss so far. Our lips passionately caressed one another, leaving small smacking sounds as they parted then collided again and again. Then, finally, we both pulled back. My hand was at her cheek as I stared deep down into her crystalin eyes.

"Don't talk like that!" I demanded softly, tucking hair from her temple behind her ear. She stared back at me before leaning inward and pressing another small kiss to my own lips.

"I love you, Aang," she murmured as she pulled back, a blush coloring her already tanned cheeks.

The words sent the butterflies from my stomach fluttering into my heart, making it skip a beat or six. "I . . . I love you too," I said with my toothiest grin, pulling her to my chest for a great bear hug. She gave a breathy, but quiet, laugh and hugged me back.

Suddenly, the world around us began to shake. He was close! We weird the whizz of another shot and now a new sound, but one still so very familiar; the low groan of a sky bison.

"Appa!" I cried, pulling Katara into my arms and leaping out of the rock formations.

There was my bison, being shot at by the Combustion Man. He dodged this way and that and gave another groan when he saw me and Katara approaching. With furrowed brows, I lifted Katara into a bridal style hold and airbended myself up to my bison. We landed heavily against the saddle.

The waterbender threw her arms around her brother, Toph's hand on her shoulder as I leapt for the reigns.

With a crack of the leather rope, I shouted, "Yip, yip!" and we were off, soaring through the clouds.

I knew Combustion Man had no chance of catching us now -- no, no way -- but my heart was still pounding against my ribs.

We smoothly sailed through the skies for about an hour when Sokka leaned over the horn of the saddle.

"Hey, where are we going?" he asked softly. There weren't many places we _could _go. Almost the entire world was taken over by the Fire Nation!

I chewed my lip as I thought. "We'll fly out to the coast of the Fire Nation, around the cliffs," replied I as I settled into Appa's thick fur. The warrior boy shrugged and slinked back into the saddle with Toph and his sister.

Slowly, the minutes ticked by. I tried to settle into a soft sleep, letting the wind carry me down into my dreams, but the only thing the wind was doing was irritating me so, flicking the shaggy locks of my hair into my eyes, tickling my brow and itching my forehead! Ugh! No wonder we monks shave so often! This stuff is annoying! As my fingers violently scratched at my scalp, I grumbled, "How does Katara live with this stuff!?"

"Well, that's why I usually keep it tied up."

The voice made me jump, even though it was Katara's sweet, soft melody of a voice. I turned slowly, seeing her angelic face framed with her luscious and dark hair. A dreamy smile graced my lips. I must've looked like a total doofus, I hope she didn't notice. As Katara crawled over the horn of the saddle, she continued to speak, watching her feet as she movied slowly, cautiously. "But, what I really don't get, is how Toph can stand all that hair. And it's hanging in her face all the time! Talk about annoyin--eep!"

The squeak of the waterbender made my eyes flutter wide. All time seemed to slow down as I watched her slip from the bison's head. Her shreik shattered the silence of my horrified mind. I snatched my staff and dove after Katara, my hand craned out to her. Slowly, shakily, our fingers interlaced. I pulled myself down to her and wrapped my arms snuggly around her.

I could hear Sokka's distant cries of his sister's name.

"Aang!" Katara breathed shakily into my ear as we barreled down through the air. I snapped open my glider.

"Hold on tight!" I ordered, holding her with one arm and angling my glider upward. We caught a good sized wind sheer that carried us upward. I had just began to sigh with relief when a sudden weight of fatigue crashed over me. I . . . I didn't have the energy to bend anymore.

"K-katara! I . . . I can't . . ." I gasped as my hand slipped from the glider, and let us drop back into the open air.

"No! Aang! Please! Wake up, Aang!" I heard her begging. "Aang! AANG!"

I couldn't keep my eyes open. I knew it. This was the end wasn't it? I took Katara's cheek into my hand and pulled her lips to mine, letting our soft lips crash into one another for what was to be our most passionate kiss goodbye.


End file.
